


Girl Talk

by firenewt



Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Innuendo, Multi, Other, Prompt Fic, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 00:24:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16629299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firenewt/pseuds/firenewt
Summary: The female Turks have a little impromptu chat about that time of the month.





	Girl Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Turk Week 2018, Day 4. The prompt was "challenges".
> 
> Disclaimer: Thanks to Square Enix for letting me play in their world.

Gun turned off the force fields at the checkpoints, and opened the cell when they reached it. Freyra walked the prisoner a few steps inside before releasing her grip on the woman’s upper arm, turning her to face toward the back of the cell, and removing her binders. The Turk then stepped out, never turning her back on the prisoner, and Gun closed the door. The clang echoed with finality as the woman behind the bars turned, rubbing her wrists, and spat venomously at the Turks.

“Bitch!” Freyra snarled, looking with distaste at the drops on her sleeve.

“Save it for Interrogation, honey,” Gun advised the woman, and she and Shotgun made their way back out of Detention and up to the floor that housed the Department of Administrative Research. 

At a time when most other departments were slowing down, the lounge was bustling with Turks coming off their shifts mingling with those starting theirs. Fresh pots of coffee and tea sat next to a tray of hot sausage rolls and one of pillowy cinnamon buns, and a steady stream of black-suited figures passed by to fuel up and then either settled in to work on the day’s reports or headed out on current assignments.

Freyra and Gun joined the clutch waiting for access to the coffee. Freyra wiped at her sleeve with a napkin, and then just shucked her jacket off and tossed it over the back of a chair. “That’s going right to the laundry,” she said with a grimace.

“Gory greeblies?” Cissnei asked, holding out a cup. “Coffee?” 

“Thanks. No, monster guts would be preferable!” Freyra took the cup, grabbed a cinnamon bun and three packs of sugar and retreated to the battered sofa at the far end of the room. Rude was ensconced at one end of it with a large mug of steaming tea and a pile of files beside him. He glanced up as Freyra flopped down at the other end of the couch, nodded and went back to jotting notes on a legal pad. Gun sank into one of the comfy chairs cattycorner to the couch, cradling a cup of her own. 

Freyra tore open the sugar packs one by one and poured their contents into her coffee, then licked her fingers, took a long swallow and sighed in pleasure. “I’ve been looking forward to this all afternoon!”

“Sugar cravings?” Gun asked, pulling up her legs as Cissnei edged past and sat on the corner of the coffee table, gnawing on a sausage roll.

“Yep. It gets bad this time of the month.”

Cissnei held up her partly eaten roll in one hand and an intact one in the other. “I gotta have the protein,” she said. “I like the puff pastry, too, but…yeah. I hear you.”

“I just feel sick,” Gun said. “I’m not hungry at all. I’d puke if I ate one of those right now.” She motioned with her chin at Cissnei’s snack. “Bleh!”

“Mmmm hot and spicy!” Cissnei took another large bite and chewed happily.

There was a tiny snort from Rude’s direction. Cissnei threw the end of her sausage roll at him and started on the next one.

“Who’s hot and spicy?” Knife asked, sliding into the chair across from Freyra and setting her cup on the coffee table. “Watch that,” she told Cissnei. “Don’t knock it off with your big butt.”

Freyra sniffed deeply, leaning forward. “Is that chocolate?? Where did you get hot chocolate!!”

Knife snatched her cup back and held it protectively close. “Hands off! I had one package left and saved it specifically for now!”

All three of the other women stared at her enviously. “We’ve been out of hot chocolate for two months. It was Reno’s turn to do the snack order and he forgot, the bugger!” Freyra growled. “I’d KILL for some chocolate, any chocolate, right now!”

“Me, too.” Cissnei licked her fingers sadly. 

“I could go for some dark chocolate,” Gun said Her eyes flicked to the oblivious Rude and then away, and her cheeks grew pink. “That would be good.” But then she groaned a little and leaned slightly forward, holding her warm cup against her tummy. “Nnn maybe not. Damn cramps! I just want a hot water bottle and my fuzzy bathrobe and bed!”

“Bed does sound good,” Knife sipped her hot chocolate and sat back comfortably. Her weapon appeared in her other hand, and she flipped it absently, point to handle, over and over. “But not alone.” She smirked at Gun, who blushed harder.

Freyra chuckled, her eyes twinkling. “You’ve always been insatiable at this time of the month! I don’t know where you get your energy!”

Cissnei stared at the three of them, eyes huge and mouth open in a tiny ‘o’.

“Why don’t you come over after you’ve finished your paperwork and I’ll show you?” Knife purred. “I might even have some chocolate ice cream. And a jar of marshmallow fluff.”

“Sold!” Freyra slapped her thigh enthusiastically. “Grab me another bun, would you, Ciss? Thanks.”

Gun gave a weak giggle from behind her hand has she massaged her temples. “And here comes the headache,” she muttered.

“The Gift of the Goddess,” Freyra sighed. “Sometimes I wish I could return it for a full refund!”

“You don’t look very good,” Cissnei said worriedly as she returned and handed the cinnamon bun to Freyra, who took it eagerly. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked, taking her place on the coffee table again and leaning forward to look into Gun’s pale face.

“No, it’s okay, Cissy,” Gun patted her knee reassuringly. “Thanks, but I gotta ride it out. Nothing new. I’m just glad we got back before it really hit me.”

Cissnei nodded in sympathy. “Yeah. Nothing worse than getting caught when you’re out in the middle of something with no supplies and no place to stop.”

“You don’t know how many times I’ve thanked the Goddess that our pants are black!” Freyra agreed, shaking her head.

“Especially when you’re out with one of the guys. They don’t think about things like that,” Knife rolled her eyes toward Rude and deliberately slammed her knife into the arm of the chair and left it standing there.

“Rude’s not bad,” Cissnei said. “He’s cool.”

“Thank you,” said Rude, not looking up from his file.

“Reno is a complete ass.” Knife glowered. “He considers anything fair game for comments. Any time, any place. Absolutely no tact or consideration!”

“At least he doesn’t have a fit of the heebie-jeebies around you, like Maur. Or treat you like you’ve lost your mind, like Rod.” Freyra said sourly. “I’ve had to tune both of them in a few times.”

“I actually overheard Rod and Two Guns say that they don’t think women should be allowed to be Turks. They think it should be like SOLDIER. No girls allowed!” Cissnei said darkly.

“Nunchaku keeps telling me I should just get pregnant. And then asks if he can help. Idiot,” Gun muttered from behind her hand.

There was a silence as each of the women mulled over times they had personally had to deal with disrespect, discrimination, belittlement and embarrassment, just for being female. 

Rude closed one file and started on another. “It’ll never happen,” he said absently, taking a swig of tea. “Tseng and Veld know the value of each of us beyond what’s between our legs.”

The tension subsided and Cissnei nodded solemnly. Knife snorted and yanked her weapon out of the chair, sliding it away. Freyra drained her coffee and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. “Too late, anyway. We’re here, and we’re here to stay.” She smiled dangerously. Gun took her hand off her head long enough to give a thumbs up.

“I’m going to go power through my paperwork and then clock out. It’s been a long day.” Freyra rose and headed out, snagging another cinnamon bun on her way past the trays. “Later, gators!”

“Will this gator see you later tonight?” Knife called after her.

“As soon as possible!” came the answer.

“Any time you’re ready, Betty!” Knife grinned. “Well, it appears I have a date. I better go make sure I actually have that chocolate ice cream!” She strode out in Freyra’s wake.

“I better go do my report, too,” Gun sighed. “The sooner it’s done the sooner I can lie down.”

“I can help,” Cissnei said. “I’m good at paperwork. We’ll get it done fast. And I can make sure you get home okay. Do you have some meds in your office?”

“I don’t know. I might have used them all.” Gun slowly unwound herself from her curled position in the chair.

“I’ve got some in my desk. I’ll get them for you. Come on, just take it slow and you’ll be okay.” The younger Turk took hold of Gun’s hands and pulled her up. 

“Thanks, Cissy. You’re a doll,” Gun smiled.

“….am not!” Cissnei grumbled as they left.

As their footsteps faded, Rude was left by himself. Everyone else had long gone, to their quarters or leisure or duty. The small ticking of the heating elements under the carafes was the only sound. He put his pen down on his pad and thoughtfully swirled the cold tea in his mug, staring blankly at the far wall. 

The women felt so comfortable with him that they thought nothing of settling around, like cats cozying up to a sleeping mastiff, and chatting about their intimate issues. It made him privy to their thoughts and feelings in a way that the other male Turks missed out on. 

Sometimes things got a little bit TMI. But overall, he felt privileged to be so easily included. And he thought they appreciated his presence and perspective, on the few occasions it was sought, and that made him happy. It made his relationships with each of the women richer, and they worked better together because of it.

Rude couldn’t understand the attitude that women were somehow less capable of doing the job. In fact, considering that they dealt with everything the men did in addition to their own biological travails, his admiration for them knew no bounds. They brought strength and intelligence and stamina and enthusiasm and many different talents in many different areas to the table, as well as a different perspective. They could be just as hard and vicious as the men when it was needed but they could also show caring without thinking it made them seem too vulnerable. Working with them raised the bar for the men and pushed them all to achieve their personal best. 

But, he mused, doodling on his pad, he had to admit that he was grateful he didn’t have to deal with what they did every month. There were enough challenges to being a Turk and working for Shin-Ra.

Rude nibbled on the end of his pen as he pondered which file to work on next, then suddenly yanked it out of his mouth and chuckled. Instead of opening another brief, he piled everything together and stood. He had just realized he, too, was craving chocolate, but unlike the women, he knew exactly where Rufus kept a secret stash. And if he could have chocolate without being blessed by the Goddess, then who was he to argue about the benefits of being in synch with those who were? He decided that he wouldn’t mention that to anyone but would just come prepared with a large box of assorted bonbons next month like the good ally that he was. In the meantime, Rufus was going to be missing some of his Bernard Chocobo bars.


End file.
